The Art of Doing Nothing | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

The Art of Doing Nothing

18

In the day and age of overachievers, we rush around and forget to notice the little things in life.There is nothing like waking up feeling refreshed and ready to restart your day.

College can be a very stressful time in life. Whether you are bogged down by exams, homework, relationships, or extracurricular involvement, it just seems like there is never time for yourself. If not properly cared for, your life can get hectic fast. Make sure you are enjoying the life you have by taking time out of your day for personal use. Give yourself time to unwind after a long week. I will give you some simple tips to incorporate in your life to keep you sane and level headed.

The best way to transition into a night of activities is to take a nap after class. Even if you only have an hour, a solid 30-minute nap can do wonders. The urge to curl up in the early afternoon is your mind and body alerting you that you are running low on common sense and judgment. Taking a quick mid-day snooze is proven to keep you mentally sharp all while relaxing your mind from a stress-filled day. My advice would be to head to your bunk and engulf yourself will blankets and start logging in the Z’s. There is nothing like waking up feeling refreshed and ready to restart your day.

Procrastinating is seen as a bad character trait in many eyes, but there is a time and place where it is appropriate. Instead of going to the library to study after a full day of class, you should sit down on the couch, kick back in some loungewear and read for pleasure. This will keep your mind active while taking any academics out of focus. This is a great alternative if you do not have time for a nap. Another way to procrastinate (my favorite) is to simply putt around and just look for something interesting to engage in. Remember, you are not going anywhere fast, so don’t be afraid to strike up conversation with anyone that crosses paths with you. Procrastination is like everything else though, it is good in moderation but can be quickly abused. You don’t want to be burnt out of school, but you don't want to fail out either. 

The final tip when looking for nothing to do is to wait. Yes, just wait. You aren’t anticipating for anything special to happen, but more just waiting to see where the next hour or so takes you. We wait around all day. Whether it is waiting for class to start, waiting in line for food, waiting on another person. So wouldn’t it be nice to just relax and wait around for nothing? While you wait, slow your perception of time, reflecting and appreciating life and all that encompasses it.

Make everything more memorable by giving yourself time to look back on adventures, mistakes, and relationships you’ve formed throughout your life. These tips require no special skills, just a little bit of time in hopes that everything will seem more clear and manageable.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

1040940
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

956560
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

The Importance Of Being A Good Person

An open letter to the good-hearted people.

1349669
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments